Mojave Desert: A Different Drive between Las Vegas and LA

Next time you are from LA to Las Vegas, consider adding about 40 minutes to your drive, and take Cima and Kelbaker Roads, which feature a slightly slower, closer-up view of the beautiful California Mojave National Preserve.  Here are more photos from another such drive, in March 2011.

Aerial Photos of the Mojave Desert

The Mojave Desert in California, from the air.

North of Blythe, CA, the Colorado River snakes through agricultural land, and separates California from Arizona.

Mojave National Preserve, CA

An afternoon drive through the Mojave National Preserve, CA.

In the distance, Kelso Dunes.

Mojave National Preserve, CA - Wildflowers, 2011

A few wildflowers along Kelso-Cima Road in the Mojave National Preserve.

Kelso Depot, Mojave National Preserve, CA

The Kelso Depot, which houses the Visitor's Center for the Mojave National Preserve.

Inside, the nostalgic Beanery Lunch Room.

The old Post Office.

Lava Tubes in California's Mojave National Preserve

 

The Lava Tubes in the Mojave Desert south of Baker, CA are impressive.  In order to experience them, first you must descend into an open chamber via a ladder.  The light streaming in from different angles, depending on the time of day, is dramatic.